Augmented reality, VR and Big Data are in demand

Both virtual and augmented reality, machine learning and big data analytics, as well as the Internet of Things, are the most in-demand skills, according to a new report by Packt.

The report, entitled Skill Up, polled more than 11,500 worldwide developers and IT professionals. Besides identifying the biggest skills, it also says that security is one of the highest-paying industries in 2016, especially for freelancers.

Bash, Perl & Scala are programming languages which will earn you most money, and online training is still a great way to acquire new skills. Python remained the 'tool for all trades in 2016', the report added, also adding that Clojure and Ruby are drawing developers under 30. Perl and SQL, on the other hand, have a more mature audience.

For that reason, Packt has launched Mapt, a new online learning platform for developers.

“Packt’s aim is to keep developers relevant so they can gain a competitive edge in their careers,” commented Dave Maclean, CEO at Packt. “The tech world is ever evolving and through constant communication with our customers, we understand what resources they need right now to stay ahead of the curve. Mapt is a direct and personalized route to gain the most in­demand skills in tech, making it easier and quicker than ever for IT professionals to advance their careers.”

Its subscribers can assess how current skills map to career goals, can get a personalised skill plan to stay competitive, and quickly access almost half a million pieces of content, curated from Packt’s best content and informed by data from more than 20,000 developers around the world.